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shrub

Spreading yew 'Densiformis'

Taxus × media 'Densiformis'

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Spreading yew 'Densiformis' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 4–7. Expect 3–4 ft of height and 4–6 ft of spread; our lists space it 4.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer do eat it, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Taxus × media 'Densiformis'
Plant type
Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones
4 to 7
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
Water
Medium
Soil
Needs good drainage; dies in wet soil.
Mature size
3–4 ft tall × 4–6 ft wide
Spacing
4.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Structure
Styles
modern, classic
Deer resistance
Low: deer eat it
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Yew is on the ASPCA toxic list; all parts except the red berry flesh are highly toxic.
Native to
Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price
3-gallon pot, typically $30–$50 (easy to find)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
Pruning
Shear or shape in early summer; tolerates hard pruning.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Spreading yew 'Densiformis', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Spreading yew 'Densiformis': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants